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A lot. But the goals are still out there. All the Spartans have to do is beat Penn State and Ohio State in consecutive weeks. No, really, what do the Spartans have to do? OK, a better question is what is a realistic goal now that they are 4-1 in the conference with two brutal games on the horizon? I think MSU can compete with Penn State. That doesn't mean they will beat them. But these Spartans are good enough – with a home crowd – to make this a second-half game. As for the Buckeyes? Um, no. This is the year Urban Meyer finally blitzes Mark Dantonio. There won't be any miracle in Columbus. These Spartans aren't ready.

It depends on whether he can find a consistent touch on the deep ball, and whether he absorbs the lessons he faced Saturday. Like a lot of inexperienced quarterbacks, Lewerke locks onto a side of the field too often, tipping off the safeties. He also has a tendency to throw off his back foot, as he did on the throw that ended the game.

Lewerke has a sneaky-strong arm and nimble feet. The issue is he doesn’t always plant them when he throws. Because of youth or inexperience, he gets anxious at the moment he lets a pass fly, which leads to overthrows and, at times, underthrows.

On several occasions Saturday, Lewerke had receivers streaking open down the field. And he missed them.

Lewerke, a redshirt sophomore, eventually may harness all his physical promise and become MSU’s next great quarterback. Especially when you consider how many he plays he made when MSU’s coaches let him attack late in the game.

To get there, though, he’s got to settle down when plays are available early and improve at reading the defense.

Was MSU's defense propped up by weak offenses and subpar quarterbacks?

Yes. But that doesn't mean it's a fraudulent defense. It's not. It's just not dominant. Northwestern’s Clayton Thorson picked apart the Spartans using crossing routes, running backs leaking out into the flat and tight ends slipping over the short middle. The Spartans couldn’t tighten the space, and the Wildcats ran free.

CLOSE

Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, with the help of a couple of cell phones, breaks down what happened in the 39-31 triple-overtime loss to Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, in Evanston, Ill. Video by Chris Solari/DFP

The offensive design, not to mention Northwestern’s personnel, exposed MSU’s defense. It started at the line of scrimmage, where the Spartans' defensive ends couldn’t get off their blocks and squeeze the pocket.

It continued in the middle of the line, where MSU’s tackles – Mike Panasiuk and Raequan Williams – struggled to get up field and into Thorson’s face. This meant the linebackers and safeties had to seek out and stick with the quicker backs and slot receivers crossing into their space.

MSU’s cornerbacks – Justin Layne and Josiah Scott – held up well on the outside, and remain the strength of the defense along with the normally gap-plugging tackles. But this defense needs playmakers on the edges of the line and better safety play.